I had the honour of becoming a STAA trustee earlier this year.
When it comes to my own (Beeston) plot, I am, indeed, a lazy cold-weather gardener; sometimes, when I get a whim or the energy, after cycling for the massive ten minute stretch from my house, I drag open my heavy local allotment gates and take a slovenly dawdle up the gravel path to survey the grey-green mush to poke around at the parsnips, if only for the alliteration. I have visions of this half plot being abundant with fruit and vegetables; my breath cloud misting in front of me and myself wielding a fork to dig some spuds up and tear a few cabbage leaves off for a lunch feast of carefully browned bubble and squeak; instead, I am currently quite the ‘kick myself in the shins’ if I don’t quite get things done.
I have to furtle in a massive shed of memories to capture the first time I entered the Hungerhill site; it was way before the visitor centre was even a twinkle in anyone’s eye. My first foray into the grounds was a day course by a herbalist/forager. Following visits included a permaculture course (basic loos then), then doing some plot clearance and path laying work and creating a poem for a tree planting:
staa burst
we are in windy roads – in sheds – our quirkiness
born in heritage with future to behold
we hedge and twist ourselves – the buzzard sits its rest
we are staa – bursting in our folds
we are in heritage and future will behold
we speak of petrichor and let the rain clouds sleep
we love the sky’s wideness – pond reflecting in the soul
we are staa – the soil – the mud – the deep
we hedge and twist ourselves – the buzzard takes its rest
we stop by flowerbeds – greenhouses – rub shoulders with the trees
we are fox like – (but the fox out-tricks the best)
we are staa – our laughter jangling like our keys
we are staa – bursting – we unfold
we are in heritage with future to behold
The poem was expanded on to a banner, and, during the day, I spoke to participants/diggers and planters and created another poem by which we put some of the final roots of the saplings/whips in the earth.
Which brings me to my more recent traipse up Hungerhill Road for a chat with Lydia on the duties of being a trustee for STAA. I know the benefits of gardening; bleak winter and its lack of sunshine brings a double darkness; daytime hours colliding much quicker with the rising of the moon; mental ill health follows suit. Gardening changes that; I only need to bring whatever energy I have and already the magic starts; the endorphins kick in and winter’s negativity struggles to keep up, like the lame black dog it’s become. I see the benefits of allotments time and time again; especially when one works as a team, expanding our lungs and getting the oxygen to the bit cover by our woolly hats. Working as a team at STAA brings joy, social interaction and usually (the best bit) the sharing of flasks and biscuits as rewards for efforts made.
STAA’s projects are a massive celebration of heritage, growth and possibility; I’ve been asked for my own visions of its potential, most of which I already see being put in motion by its dedicated team.
I wear many badges (and t-shirts); I am a poet, gardener, arts worker, and volunteer for Notts Hospital Radio; so here are my hopes: To create two poems a year (minimum) to celebrate the positive work of the space, its staff and its volunteers, to broadcast some of its voices on the airwaves and, if my memory holds up (here comes that oxygen), get along to the meetings of the trustees, which is where I should be on Monday… I best get ready!
apples in the pie
cabbage leaves and spuds and us
that and fruit and apples in the pies
whatever’s from the soil’s that magic rush
of yieldings – here’s mud shining in the eye
trustees then – we help – we try – we keep it wise
we track the vision – keep it safe from rust
make it active – plant it – water it – entice
it through the ground – shake off its dust
and hope what comes out’s a blunderbuss
of scatter goodness – weather wet and dry
to feed back towards the brown (no rush!)
sod demands its toil – needs the boots to ply
our needs – of yieldings – here’s mud shining in the eye
staa shines out – that and fruit and apples in the pie
By Dave Wood, Trustee
To learn more about becoming a Trustee at STAA, you can find out more abou the role and how to apply here: https://staa-allotments.org.uk/news/current-vacancies/
